World Bank Group Academy “Scaling Up Energy Efficiency” for Latin America and the Caribbean Region

Day two focused on hands-on group exercises on EE financing and program design. Participants worked through group assignments to design programs and financing mechanisms for buildings, appliances, and industry. Industry representatives from Equinix, Kilowattia, and Atera Energy joined a panel on emerging technologies, covering data centers, heat pumps, and innovations in energy management and building efficiency. On day three, a roundtable for Caribbean country delegations was organized to discuss how to unlock EE at scale. Sessions focused on different technical topics took place: demand-side management; financial and economic analysis; measurement and verification; EE and behavior change; and smart grids and grid-interactive buildings. IFC provided an overview of its tools and resources such as the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE), Buildings Resilience Index (BRI), Advanced Practices for Environmental Excellence in Cities (APEX) and the industrial decarbonization cement tool. The Academy concluded with closing remarks from Gabriela Elizondo Azuela (Practice Manager, Energy for LAC) and a site visit to the Panama Canal. 

 
Overall, the Academy maintained a highly interactive format, featuring group assignments, polls, discussions, presentations, regional case studies, roundtables, and Q&A sessions. Participants showcased their national programs, exchanged insights, and explored innovative approaches to scaling energy efficiency.

Learning and collaboration extend beyond the Academy through a dedicated Community of Practice (CoP), offering participants opportunities for continued peer exchange, knowledge sharing, and engagement through webinars and technical discussions. In collaboration with ESMAP, the CoP will connect participants to broader energy sector networks and resources, supporting the practical application of learning.

Key takeaways from this edition of the Academy include:

• Most delegations expressed interest in all three sectors, with smaller countries more interested in the buildings and appliance sectors and larger ones in industrial EE and decarbonization. They valued insights from shared studies and data, discussions on business and financing models, presentation of case studies and showcasing of innovative technologies.
• There was recognition that EE does not have a traditional institutional home, so there was often a need for dedicated EE agencies to serve as institutional champions and, where absent, interest in how to engage with local power utilities. It was also noted that foundational enablers remain absent in many less developed markets, including the lack of baseline data, core regulatory frameworks (such as building codes, standards and labeling), national EE plans and targets and credible measurement and verification systems. Several delegations expressed interest in TA from the WBG to strengthen their enabling environments.
• Participants actively engaged on financing mechanisms, with recognition that some of the more traditional financing approaches (such as EE credit lines) have had limited impacts and thus showing greater interest in alternative financing modalities such as ESCO financing and super ESCOs, EE funds, utility on-bill financing and risk sharing/guarantees. Some saw utilities and their ability to influence their customer bases as a useful tool, while others felt EE should be promoted through other channels.
• Many delegations emphasized the need to strengthen communications and awareness around EE, identifying this as a fundamental barrier to scaling up EE action. Participants valued insights from behavioral aspects to drive coordinated action among policymakers, financiers, and end-users. There was also strong interest in more effectively communicating and leveraging the multiple benefits of EE, such as energy security, fiscal benefits and jobs, to elevate its prominence on government agendas.

Feedback on the event from post-event surveys and interviews was overwhelmingly positive, even though an earthquake struck just two days before participants were due to travel to the event. This created unexpected logistical challenges and required the organizing team to adapt quickly. Despite these disruptions, the event proceeded smoothly, with participants highlighting the quality of the expert-led sessions, practical implementation examples, and opportunities for regional knowledge exchange.